Dakota Hudson | RHP
Background
A few years back Hudson, 21, was considered a fourth or fifth round talent out of Sequatchie County High School in Tennessee, but his strong commitment to Mississippi State caused him to fall to the 36th round (Rangers). This spring Hudson has a 2.82 ERA with 70 strikeouts and 24 walks in 67 innings for the Bulldogs. Last summer he had a 1.43 ERA with 54 strikeouts and 14 walks in 56 2/3 innings for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks in the prestigious Cape Cod League.
Scouting Report
At 6-foot-5 and 205 lbs., Hudson has the kind of big frame teams look for in a future workhorse starter. His best pitch is a darting cutter in the 88-91 mph range that he’s able to bust in on the hands of left-handed batters. Hudson sits around 92-95 mph with his straight four-seam fastball, and he also has a low-80s slider he’ll back foot to lefties. Neither his curveball nor his changeup are anything to write home about. The cutter is his go-to weapon against lefties. Control problems limited Hudson to only 34 total innings his first two years on college, but nowadays he has good control and improving command.
Miscellany
In their latest rankings Hudson is ranked as the 17th, 20th, and 33rd best prospect in the 2016 draft by Keith Law (subs. req’d), Baseball America, and MLB.com, respectively. The Yankees hold the 18th overall pick, and they really seem to value Cape Cod League success. Hudson does not fit the mold of a polished college starter. He has a deep arsenal and a big frame, but he’s still learning to throw strikes consistently. The pitches are there. It’s just a matter of fine-tuning some things.